ProSoundWeb Community

Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB Lounge => Topic started by: David Parker on April 17, 2011, 08:27:11 AM

Title: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 17, 2011, 08:27:11 AM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Luke Landis on April 17, 2011, 09:54:45 AM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?

David, I can say this, I did not have a show last night so I wanted to make some rounds. One place I work all the time and is packed most of the time, dropped the $5 cover they used to have. Then I went to a sports bar that has been having bands again, and they now have a $5 cover. I did not pay it as I intended to only stay 30min. I guess my point is yea, the economy is rough as times, and clubs need to adapt. The place that dropped the cover will continue to be "the" place, and the sports bar will drive away regulars that never had to pay $5 before. I mostly work with 2 bands that actually make $ and can pay me what I ask (still not worth it).

The market in Ft Wayne had maybe 10 great bands of all varieties that draw OK, and make good money for the bars, and OK for themselves. I would like to step up to the next level, and could if I wanted to travel, but I do not.

I saw an add on CL for a $90 sound man. He would travel say 50 miles for an extra $10. Now you get what you pay for, but as a the owner of a big local shop says, it's a race to the bottom.

I still have fun, and do as good a job as I can, but I do not work for any old band anymore. I'm seeing more of the dark side of the bottom dweller market and it get OLD fast.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 17, 2011, 10:01:23 AM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?

David, I can say this, I did not have a show last night so I wanted to make some rounds. One place I work all the time and is packed most of the time, dropped the $5 cover they used to have. Then I went to a sports bar that has been having bands again, and they now have a $5 cover. I did not pay it as I intended to only stay 30min. I guess my point is yea, the economy is rough as times, and clubs need to adapt. The place that dropped the cover will continue to be "the" place, and the sports bar will drive away regulars that never had to pay $5 before. I mostly work with 2 bands that actually make $ and can pay me what I ask (still not worth it).

The market in Ft Wayne had maybe 10 great bands of all varieties that draw OK, and make good money for the bars, and OK for themselves. I would like to step up to the next level, and could if I wanted to travel, but I do not.

I saw an add on CL for a $90 sound man. He would travel say 50 miles for an extra $10. Now you get what you pay for, but as a the owner of a big local shop says, it's a race to the bottom.

I still have fun, and do as good a job as I can, but I do not work for any old band anymore. I'm seeing more of the dark side of the bottom dweller market and it get OLD fast.

I saw one of the clubs we used to play shut down due to cover charge, $7. You could go 5 miles down the same road and see the same bands for free, no cover. I'm not really in business anymore, more of a hobby. I work two bands, and they pay me $150-$250 depending on what they ge t(roughly 20-25%). I'm not getting rich, but it's enough to make it worth doing. I certainly couldn't justify my LS9-16 on what I'm making now. I wouldn't do the $150 nights if there weren't $250 nights, and if I didn't like the guys in the band. The guy charging $90 couldn't possibly be making money. I'm in the Houston area, lots of clubs, lots of bands.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Charlie Zureki on April 17, 2011, 10:18:37 AM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?

    Hmm...I suppose that the New Club owners never really put much thought or effort into writing a business plan.   Any veteran business person knows that it takes a time period to decide whether their intention of providing entertainment will show a worthy profit. It takes marketing, proper employees and entertaining-entertainers to provide a draw to the door.

    Underfunded businesses are very common with inexperienced business people...while the "economy" is a factor, it is easy to blame gasoline prices for the lack of customers.

  Hammer
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 17, 2011, 10:25:00 AM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?

    Hmm...I suppose that the New Club owners never really put much thought or effort into writing a business plan.   Any veteran business person knows that it takes a time period to decide whether their intention of providing entertainment will show a worthy profit. It takes marketing, proper employees and entertaining-entertainers to provide a draw to the door.

    Underfunded businesses are very common with inexperienced business people...while the "economy" is a factor, it is easy to blame gasoline prices for the lack of customers.

  Hammer

the new club that is already wanting to cut out bands, started out with some lousy bands, not in tune with the clientele. They just started using a booking agent that does well in the area, knows what works. Hopefully they'll give him a chance to get it going. Certainly, if the new clients came out to see a lousy band, it will take time to get them to try that club again. But it's more than just the one club having problems. The price of gas would have to affect turnout.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Charlie Zureki on April 17, 2011, 10:33:28 AM

    Hmm...I suppose that the New Club owners never really put much thought or effort into writing a business plan.   Any veteran business person knows that it takes a time period to decide whether their intention of providing entertainment will show a worthy profit. It takes marketing, proper employees and entertaining-entertainers to provide a draw to the door.

    Underfunded businesses are very common with inexperienced business people...while the "economy" is a factor, it is easy to blame gasoline prices for the lack of customers.

  Hammer

the new club that is already wanting to cut out bands, started out with some lousy bands, not in tune with the clientele. They just started using a booking agent that does well in the area, knows what works. Hopefully they'll give him a chance to get it going. Certainly, if the new clients came out to see a lousy band, it will take time to get them to try that club again. But it's more than just the one club having problems. The price of gas would have to affect turnout.

    Hello,

     Your response seems to verify that poor club management has been the biggest problem....lack of knowledge and planning.


   If the "economy" is part of the blame, then, it's more than just the increase in gasoline cost...it's the overall cost of everything.
 
     Hammer
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 17, 2011, 01:55:26 PM

    Hmm...I suppose that the New Club owners never really put much thought or effort into writing a business plan.   Any veteran business person knows that it takes a time period to decide whether their intention of providing entertainment will show a worthy profit. It takes marketing, proper employees and entertaining-entertainers to provide a draw to the door.

    Underfunded businesses are very common with inexperienced business people...while the "economy" is a factor, it is easy to blame gasoline prices for the lack of customers.

  Hammer

the new club that is already wanting to cut out bands, started out with some lousy bands, not in tune with the clientele. They just started using a booking agent that does well in the area, knows what works. Hopefully they'll give him a chance to get it going. Certainly, if the new clients came out to see a lousy band, it will take time to get them to try that club again. But it's more than just the one club having problems. The price of gas would have to affect turnout.

    Hello,

     Your response seems to verify that poor club management has been the biggest problem....lack of knowledge and planning.


   If the "economy" is part of the blame, then, it's more than just the increase in gasoline cost...it's the overall cost of everything.
 
     Hammer

It's disappointing when you're all set to start working a new club and the week before your first date there you hear that they are not having bands anymore. Or a club you play regularly goes out of business.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: RYAN LOUDMUSIC JENKINS on April 17, 2011, 03:29:12 PM
It's disappointing when you're all set to start working a new club and the week before your first date there you hear that they are not having bands anymore. Or a club you play regularly goes out of business.

There is one really good way to avoid these problems...Get out of club land!
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: John Livings on April 17, 2011, 08:41:37 PM
I am in Los Angeles, I do some work for DJ/VJs, The few I do set-ups for are expanding.

Think Coachella, Thats who I see at the clubs we set up in (Of course not 90,000 people :)).

http://www.youtube.com/coachella

Regards,  John
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Mark Gensman on April 18, 2011, 03:04:46 AM
There are multiple reasons why clubs don't have live music any more.

Hiring a DJ costs way less. Having Karoake costs way less. The bands around here are paid less now than we made in the 70's and most smaller bars have three piece groups that will play for practically nothing.

But the bar business is getting very expensive. Insurance rates are going up by leaps and bounds, noise ordinances, underage drinking, etc. all add to the cost.

And finally, there are more bands than gigs and so many bands are willing to play for nothing that it drives down the money for better bands.

I tell every band that asks to get out of the bar band gigs. Too much work, not enough money.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: James Brooks on April 18, 2011, 10:15:27 AM
Most musicians just don't get it!
It's all about business. Not music.
The club is there to make money.
There're not there to promote your band or start some kind of new music.
We do about 80 dates a year.
Among those dates are gigs at two local clubs.
We pack the place's each time we play and the people spend money.
Most seats are reserved, even the bar stools.
Gotta have a fan base and they have to show up and spend money when you play.

It doesn't matter what the economy is.
SOMBODY will be working.
You just have to decide if it's gonna be you,
or somebody else.

Jim Brooks
casperband.com
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Chris Davis on April 18, 2011, 12:40:41 PM

    Hmm...I suppose that the New Club owners never really put much thought or effort into writing a business plan.   Any veteran business person knows that it takes a time period to decide whether their intention of providing entertainment will show a worthy profit. It takes marketing, proper employees and entertaining-entertainers to provide a draw to the door.

    Underfunded businesses are very common with inexperienced business people...while the "economy" is a factor, it is easy to blame gasoline prices for the lack of customers.

  Hammer

the new club that is already wanting to cut out bands, started out with some lousy bands, not in tune with the clientele. They just started using a booking agent that does well in the area, knows what works. Hopefully they'll give him a chance to get it going. Certainly, if the new clients came out to see a lousy band, it will take time to get them to try that club again. But it's more than just the one club having problems. The price of gas would have to affect turnout.

    Hello,

     Your response seems to verify that poor club management has been the biggest problem....lack of knowledge and planning.


   If the "economy" is part of the blame, then, it's more than just the increase in gasoline cost...it's the overall cost of everything.
 
     Hammer
Ahem...  When the price of gas goes up, the price of everything goes up...  It all eventually gets compounded by the price of gas.  Expensive gas = expensive commerce.
I am personally hearing more and more people around me talking about doing fewer activities these days, and for many of them it is due to the recent price of gas.  They are finding more things to do closer to home, or else just staying home altogether.
Then there is the problem of our national deficit. ::)  But I am on the wrong forum for that, possibly even the wrong website.


Most musicians just don't get it!
It's all about business. Not music.
The club is there to make money.

Some might argue with me on semantics here, but those people would not be musicians.  They are performers.  ;)
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Tim McCulloch on April 18, 2011, 12:58:27 PM
the new club that is already wanting to cut out bands, started out with some lousy bands, not in tune with the clientele. They just started using a booking agent that does well in the area, knows what works. Hopefully they'll give him a chance to get it going. Certainly, if the new clients came out to see a lousy band, it will take time to get them to try that club again. But it's more than just the one club having problems. The price of gas would have to affect turnout.


    Hello,

     Your response seems to verify that poor club management has been the biggest problem....lack of knowledge and planning.


   If the "economy" is part of the blame, then, it's more than just the increase in gasoline cost...it's the overall cost of everything.
 
     Hammer

Ahem...  When the price of gas goes up, the price of everything goes up...  It all eventually gets compounded by the price of gas.  Expensive gas = expensive commerce.
I am personally hearing more and more people around me talking about doing fewer activities these days, and for many of them it is due to the recent price of gas.  They are finding more things to do closer to home, or else just staying home altogether.
Then there is the problem of our national deficit. ::)  But I am on the wrong forum for that, possibly even the wrong website.

"Deficits don't matter."  I'll leave it to readers to form their own opinions based on their interpretation and what the original speaker of that phrase meant.... but not discuss it here...

As for the price of gas... well, who didn't see this coming?  Instability in the Middle East makes for uncertainty, and uncertainty drives up prices whether naturally or through speculation.

I think the bigger issue is that all costs continue to move upward while personal income for most working Americans is declining or stagnant.  People have to make decisions about their leisure spending, and staying home with one's Significant Other, a Netflix movie and a bottle of wine is cheaper than a night out in a club even before the gasoline price is factored in.

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Randall Hyde on April 18, 2011, 04:32:35 PM
David, I can say this, I did not have a show last night so I wanted to make some rounds. One place I work all the time and is packed most of the time, dropped the $5 cover they used to have. Then I went to a sports bar that has been having bands again, and they now have a $5 cover. I did not pay it as I intended to only stay 30min. I guess my point is yea, the economy is rough as times, and clubs need to adapt. The place that dropped the cover will continue to be "the" place, and the sports bar will drive away regulars that never had to pay $5 before. I mostly work with 2 bands that actually make $ and can pay me what I ask (still not worth it).

The market in Ft Wayne had maybe 10 great bands of all varieties that draw OK, and make good money for the bars, and OK for themselves. I would like to step up to the next level, and could if I wanted to travel, but I do not.

I saw an add on CL for a $90 sound man. He would travel say 50 miles for an extra $10. Now you get what you pay for, but as a the owner of a big local shop says, it's a race to the bottom.

I still have fun, and do as good a job as I can, but I do not work for any old band anymore. I'm seeing more of the dark side of the bottom dweller market and it get OLD fast.
The first ever paid gig I did was $75. Now I can't afford to do one-person "speakers on sticks" PA jobs for five times that price. My pickup (with no trailer) gets 12 MPG, my truck gets 5 MPG. At $5/gallon (this is California here, premium gas costs that much); $10 buys me 10-20 miles and that doesn't include depreciation or upkeep.  Last year, I calculated my equipment "cost per gig" at about $200/show (wear and tear + loss on equipment).

Don't get me wrong, I'm a total anklebiter when it comes to pricing and I view this more as a hobby than a business for me, but now I'm paying employees, paying insurance, and trying to upgrade my remaining MI gear to (at least low-end) Pro stuff.   If someone can do a job for $90, I say more power to them. I'll be more than happy to subcontract them for some work I get :-). 

I used to rent a room to a musician. He gave me lots of great sayings to use over the years (like "the music business first, and foremost, a BUSINESS" and "I can stay home, watch TV, drink beer, and earn more money than taking *that* job"). He also taught me "gigs begat gigs."  I've been in positions where I've taken about 1/2 what I really wanted to take for a job; the end result is that I wound up with a lot more work. I'm willing to do a show at my direct costs as a marketing ploy if I'm fairly certain it will get me in the door for future work. Thus far, I've been pretty lucky with that approach. OTOH, I'm lucky enough to have a great day job so I don't have to depend on the sound business to make ends meet. I can understand someone who desperately needs $90 to fulfill some commitment doing a one-off job to get some needed cash. Advertising that rate on Craig's List, Hmmm.... I must admit, though, I see a lot of DJ ads for $150 in my local area. Fortunately, most of the types of jobs I do couldn't be handled by someone with DJ equipment, so I don't have to compete with that.

Good luck getting work and don't worry too much about the $90 competition. Base your prices on your costs (direct and indirect). If you *have* to work for less than that, it's really time to consider another occupation or, perhaps, to just do this  as a hobby. The  most important thing to do is to keep your existing clients (and new clients you get) as happy as possible. That's what will keep them paying $900 when there are $90 ads in CL. My niche is full production (power, stage, lights, and sound). I do shows that require anywhere from 4 to 8 people (road crew, lighting, sound crew). Someone with a DJ system and a pickup isn't going to be able to do that. I'm sure there are people saying "How can he do that for $1900?" about me, but the niche where I'm working seems pretty good; too much gear for a single person to do the show, priced at a point they couldn't afford to rent the non-sound stuff (e.g., stage, lights, & power). Unless you live in Riverside, CA ( :-] ), I recommend you find such a niche yourself.

Cheers,
Randy Hyde
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Randall Hyde on April 18, 2011, 05:24:34 PM
Just saw this on PSW today. Thought the information was timely:
http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/business_savvy_applying_common_sense/P1/
Cheers,
Randy Hyde
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 18, 2011, 08:59:56 PM
Most musicians just don't get it!
It's all about business. Not music.
The club is there to make money.
There're not there to promote your band or start some kind of new music.
We do about 80 dates a year.
Among those dates are gigs at two local clubs.
We pack the place's each time we play and the people spend money.
Most seats are reserved, even the bar stools.
Gotta have a fan base and they have to show up and spend money when you play.

It doesn't matter what the economy is.
SOMBODY will be working.
You just have to decide if it's gonna be you,
or somebody else.

Jim Brooks
casperband.com

I get it. But there are different levels of bands. Some play 15,000 seat arenas for $100 a ticket. Some have enough fans to play smaller venues and clubs and sell them out at $15-$35 a pop. Then there are the cover bands that basically are live juke boxes. They have a few followers who come out any time they play, but the bottom line is that the club has to feel that having live music, regardless who it is, will increase their profit.  All very different business models. One size does not fit all. There are a LOT of bands in the Houston area that play 2-4 times a month and do not have enough draw to fill a club, even with no cover charge. There are a lot of clubs paying $500-$800 for these bands. That's good money for bands to whom it really is about the music and the audience. But, if the club starts losing money, the first thing to go is the live music.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: John Sabine on April 19, 2011, 11:38:36 AM
I work with a band that gets paid pretty well for what they do. What a lot of bands don't understand is that they have to bring a product to the consumer. You can hear bands do various interpretations of cover tunes all over town but if you bring a show people come specifically to see that and, in turn, the band. The band I work with did 86 shows last year. On top of that they constantly practice, add material, learn that material in a way that is unique to them, and add things to and refine the existing show. When we show up I bring a 12" trailer packed with lights and PA and the band brings another 16" trailer loaded with backline, staging, more lighting, flat panel video screens and props. All of this goes into creating a product that people want and are willing to pay for. Most bands don't get this. The music is part of the product and if you don't deliver a quality overall product then people won't pay for it.


I get it. But there are different levels of bands. Some play 15,000 seat arenas for $100 a ticket. Some have enough fans to play smaller venues and clubs and sell them out at $15-$35 a pop. Then there are the cover bands that basically are live juke boxes. They have a few followers who come out any time they play, but the bottom line is that the club has to feel that having live music, regardless who it is, will increase their profit.  All very different business models. One size does not fit all. There are a LOT of bands in the Houston area that play 2-4 times a month and do not have enough draw to fill a club, even with no cover charge. There are a lot of clubs paying $500-$800 for these bands. That's good money for bands to whom it really is about the music and the audience. But, if the club starts losing money, the first thing to go is the live music.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Tracy Garner on April 19, 2011, 12:31:57 PM
Most musicians just don't get it!
It's all about business. Not music.
The club is there to make money.
There're not there to promote your band or start some kind of new music.
We do about 80 dates a year.
Among those dates are gigs at two local clubs.
We pack the place's each time we play and the people spend money.
Most seats are reserved, even the bar stools.
Gotta have a fan base and they have to show up and spend money when you play.

It doesn't matter what the economy is.
SOMBODY will be working.
You just have to decide if it's gonna be you,
or somebody else.

Jim Brooks
casperband.com


- I have been noticing artists with VH1 and BET video rotation and they are not priced much higher than the local bands who come with absolutely zero drawing power. Just this past weekend, there was a well-known artist in town and cost $25. which is just $5.00 more than the cover charge at one of the popular multi-level nightclubs in town that charges $7 for a domestic beer.  At this other venue, you could even bring in your own alcohol...security was handled by the local sheriff's department augmented by a few of the local gym regulars.

- I have been noticing many artists who are now doing "track" shows for about 20% of what it would have cost to bring their whole band. You hardly ever see the band unless its a festival or marquis club that has that $10 cover charge.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Stuart Pendleton on April 20, 2011, 09:57:54 AM
I can only speak for the band I generally work with. We are getting more calls than ever.  We can't even play them all and have started to tell people no. We are a cover band that plays bars, parties and small festivals. We have filled every available date and the phone is still ringing so I think bars are still booking. 

Interestingly enough for us, it is word of mouth from one bar owner to another that is making the new shows happen.  We aren't even trying to find work, but clubs we never heard of from cities in a 200 mile circle of "home" are finding us. We have somehow moved from local to regional without trying. We charge double what most bands are charging here, but we bring "the show" as mentioned in a post above. It separates us from other bands in the area, aside from the music we play. We want folks to leave the bar feeling like they just left a concert.

I know other bands in this area are not doing as well, and some clubs have scaled back from bands to duos/trios but they still have entertainment on all the same nights.  I think it has been a modest slow down, but appears to be getting stronger again. The clubs that are going strong are hiring bands that bring the show and crowds.  If you can pack the bar, you can find all the work you want, and folks are still packing the bars often, but have become more discerning of who they will pay to hear.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Charlie Zureki on April 21, 2011, 03:24:05 AM
[quote author=Charlie Zureki link=topi


   If the "economy" is part of the blame, then, it's more than just the increase in gasoline cost...it's the overall cost of everything.
 
     Hammer
Ahem...  When the price of gas goes up, the price of everything goes up...  It all eventually gets compounded by the price of gas.  Expensive gas = expensive commerce.
 [Chris Davis]


  Hello,
  Yes, and that is what I wrote. 


   But, I still believe that the poster may be under a misunderstanding. He believes that the turn-out may be poor due to higher gasoline prices.... and while we don't know all of the circumstances....the low turn-out may be due to bad planning and marketing, or terrible entertainment choices.

   Hammer



Most musicians just don't get it!
It's all about business. Not music.
The club is there to make money.
[j brooks]

Some might argue with me on semantics here, but those people would not be musicians.  They are performers.  ;)
[Chris Davis]




   Hello,

   I got the impression that Mr. Brooks was speaking of the club and not the musicians when he wrote " It's all about business. Not Music. The club is there to make money"

 Hammer
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 21, 2011, 06:42:43 AM
[quote author=Charlie Zureki link=topi


   If the "economy" is part of the blame, then, it's more than just the increase in gasoline cost...it's the overall cost of everything.
 
     Hammer
Ahem...  When the price of gas goes up, the price of everything goes up...  It all eventually gets compounded by the price of gas.  Expensive gas = expensive commerce.
 [Chris Davis]


  Hello,
  Yes, and that is what I wrote. 


   But, I still believe that the poster may be under a misunderstanding. He believes that the turn-out may be poor due to higher gasoline prices.... and while we don't know all of the circumstances....the low turn-out may be due to bad planning and marketing, or terrible entertainment choices.

   Hammer



Most musicians just don't get it!
It's all about business. Not music.
The club is there to make money.
[j brooks]

Some might argue with me on semantics here, but those people would not be musicians.  They are performers.  ;)
[Chris Davis]




   Hello,

   I got the impression that Mr. Brooks was speaking of the club and not the musicians when he wrote " It's all about business. Not Music. The club is there to make money"

 Hammer

I'm sure all of the many causes mentioned enter in to the equation. I also know that the cost of gasoline, if one cause is singled out from the others, would of necessity be at least a part of the problem. Certainly, when the going gets tough, the survivors are the ones that are the best at what they do, bring the best show, draw the biggest crowds. All good points to consider.
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Marsellus Fariss on April 22, 2011, 03:14:51 AM
I noticed about last year and the PM of the large club in town said the same that our market is shifting and acts that where too large for his 1075 cap room where booking in and acts that used to be too big for our 550 room are all over our calendar. Which of course changes our game in a big way. Every other day we've got a Prevost rolling up with a crew of pushy needy guys that aren't always easy to deal with. We got pretty beat up in the beginning but after learning how to say NO more often and rebuilding the PA so an untalented fool could get a half way decent mix on it without melting it we're in better shape. We still hate to say no to people but you have to more often now. Try it with me... "No." "You need to get your band on." "There's no production budget we can't rent you a Pro 6." "That's not in the hospitality rider. We don't care if your support act drank all your beer while you where out eating sushi. Your TM needs to have a talk with them." "We don't have runners, we're not going to get you a movie to watch on the buss." These are things you might need to learn. 
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: Tom Reid on April 23, 2011, 11:33:58 AM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?

Excellent discussion everyone.

Regardless of economy, war, depression man will find a place to get wasted.
Some require live music whilst wasting.

My latest purchases have been mic clips, and screws to make repairs.
I'm still booked about 46 weekends a year.
%90 of that is clubland.
Business has neither dropped, nor increased for the past 2 years.
As such, rates have not been modified in 3 years.

It's interesting I've mixed 4 new bands since the start of the year.
Interesting that the clubs are booking new bands, and people are forming bands to play in the clubs.
ymmv
Title: Re: clubs, bands, the economy
Post by: David Parker on April 23, 2011, 12:55:26 PM
A new club opened up, big place, really nice, having bands in. One of my bands is to play there next Friday night. Just heard from the booking agent that the club is already wanting to stop having bands because the club can't afford it. A month ago another scheduled gig got cancelled due to that club stopping having bands, can't afford it. Is this a sign of the times? I know folks have to really tighten their belts when the price of gas goes up, because a lot of the folks around here drive a long way to work. Gas prices going up hold people hostage, they can't get to work without buying gas. Then they have to make cuts in other areas, like entertainment. Also, the extra gas it takes to get to the club. Are any of you seeing this where you live?

Excellent discussion everyone.

Regardless of economy, war, depression man will find a place to get wasted.
Some require live music whilst wasting.

My latest purchases have been mic clips, and screws to make repairs.
I'm still booked about 46 weekends a year.
%90 of that is clubland.
Business has neither dropped, nor increased for the past 2 years.
As such, rates have not been modified in 3 years.

It's interesting I've mixed 4 new bands since the start of the year.
Interesting that the clubs are booking new bands, and people are forming bands to play in the clubs.
ymmv

it was probably just coincidence, but one of my bands newly reformed finally got back going, and 2 clubs they were booked to play stopped having bands, each of them the week before this band was to play there. They have some new opportunities opened up with a different booking agent.